The Existence of Indigenous Knowledge and Local Landslide Mitigation: A Case Study of Banyumas People in Gununglurah Village, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the indigenous knowledge and local mitigation of the Banyumas people in Gununglurah village, Central Java, against landslides. Here, the local community practices local mitigation strategies to overcome its impacts based on local beliefs and traditional practical solutions. The method of the study mainly employs field observations and semi-structured interviews with sixteen informants, including twelve villagers, four local leaders at RT/RW level, and two government officers. The research finds how indigenous knowledge is used across core belief systems and fundamental understanding of marking, imitating, and adding. In addition, this study also reveals that farmers have practiced traditional terracing methods (nyabuk gunung) to plant crops on slope hills. Other than that, Banyumas people are still practicing the usage of the local seasonal calendar for cropping (pranata mangsa), as well as community-level vegetative strategies and practices. Finally, the study also addresses the threat of global technology and modernization to local knowledge preservation for the future generation.